RICHMOND, Va. – Gov. Glenn Youngkin has issued a new executive order with the aim of keeping parents informed about overdoses in school divisions throughout the Commonwealth.
Under this order, the Virginia Department of Education has been mandated to notify all parents of school-connected overdoses within 24 hours, while also working diligently alongside law enforcement to mitigate overdoses and inform students about the many risks of abusing drugs.
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This comes after one high school in Loudoun County reported nine opioid-related overdoses this school year, eight of which happened in the last month, NBC4 Washington reports.
The school division reported that four of those overdoses happened inside the school.
The sheriff’s office said the overdoses appeared to involve fentanyl, commonly found in the form of a counterfeit 30-milligram oxycodone pill that is blue, circular and may be stamped with an “M.”
Since Youngkin was sworn in as the governor of Virginia, he has made an effort to uphold the fundamental rights of parents in regard to the upbringing, education and care of their children. In fact, on his first day in office, he signed Executive Order Number 2, which reinforces the notion that parents deserve to have a say in decisions concerning the care of their children.
To see Executive Order 28 in its entirety, click here.
Parents have a right to know what’s going on in their child’s lives, especially in schools. Overdoses that occur on school grounds or are connected to the school must lead to an immediate parental notification. School administrators’ first instinct when there is a problem cannot be to delay relevant information on critical children’s health and safety matters - it must be passed on to parents immediately. Opioid overdoses have claimed the lives of far too many Virginians, devastating families and communities across the Commonwealth and we must continue to combat opioid abuse and overdoses with action and transparency.
Governor Glenn Youngkin